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Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Adding quinoa and not using canned soup makes this Better-than-Moms Chicken and Broccoli Casserole.

I made this Chicken, Broccoli, and Quinoa Casserole with Creamy Curry Sauce a few times to get it just right, and I really wasn't planning on posting the recipe right away. Then today after I took the latest version out of the oven I ate some for lunch, had seconds, and realized I was looking forward to eating it again for dinner, and I decided that this recipe needed to be on the blog.

The idea for a chicken and broccoli casserole that included quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) came from a cookbook I picked up at Costco called Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood. This book has so many recipes that look interesting, and I was intrigued by the idea of remaking this classic American casserole with quinoa replacing the rice and using a sauce to replace the canned soup. Of course I put my own spin on it, using leftover rotisserie chicken to save a step, bumping up the lemon juice, and topping the casserole with coarsely-grated Parmesan instead of cheddar. If you're already a fan of uber-nutritious quinoa you're going to love this, but even if you've never cooked quinoa before, I highly recommend you give this a try.

Most quinoa has to be rinsed (check the package to be sure.) Rinse with cold water until no more foam shows.

Cook the quinoa in boiling water or stock until the liquid is absorbed, then put the lid on and let it sit for 6 minutes. Fluff with a fork. (Here is more on How to Cook Quinoa if you've never done it.)

Cut broccoli to make 3 cups of same-sized broccoli flowerets, then cook in salted boiling water about 2-3 minutes and drain.

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Rinse quinoa until no more foam appears. Combine quinoa with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. (Use the smallest pan you have that has a tight-fitting lid. I used a pan that was too big and I had to add a couple T more water to get the quinoa done.) Simmer until the water is absorbed, then cover the pan with the lid and let it sit for 5-6 minutes, fluffing with a fork when the quinoa is done.

While quinoa cooks, start a medium sized pan of water boiling while you cut broccoli to make 3 cups same-sized flowerets. Add about 1/2 tsp. salt to the water, add broccoli, and cook 2-3 minutes, or until the broccoli turns bright green. Drain broccoli into a colander placed in the sink. Dice enough cooked chicken to make 2 cups diced, cooked chicken.

Spray a 9" x 9" glass or crockery casserole with with non-stick spray or oil. Layer quinoa, broccoli, then chicken, spreading out each ingredient so it covers the surface or is distributed evenly. Use a rubber scraper to spread the sauce mixture over the top of the chicken. (I used the side of the rubber scraper to poke slits so the sauce could run down into the other ingredients a bit.) Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and the top is starting to brown. Serve hot.

This would be great to take to work for lunch and re-heat in a microwave. The chicken, broccoli, and quinoa would make a balanced one-dish meal.

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Kalyn-- I've been a longtime reader but never commented. This looks good! Do you know why it's necessary to rinse the quinoa? I've always skipped this step, because on many recipe reviews I've read other cooks claim it's not necessary. I'm wondering if it improves the taste or texture, which might mean my young kids would be more likely to eat it. Just curious!

Hi Heather, thanks for commenting! Quinoa is a seed and it has a natural coating called Saponin which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Some boxed quinoas are pre-rinsed, but if you buy it in bulk or in a bigger container it probably needs to be rinsed. (You will see a foaminess when you rinse it.) I'd say it definitely improves the taste if it's not the pre-rinsed type.

I love the idea of a quinoa casserole. Glad you posted the recipe. Being gluten-free, quinoa is one of my go-to grains. I've printed off your recipe and am going to tweak it a bit to be dairy free (might make a sauce out of chicken broth, some coconut milk and a few other goodies). I love the idea of "creamy curry sauce" so I'm going to stay with that direction. I just bought 5 different types of curry from Penzey's. I'm a curry lover and wanted to do a taste test on the differences. I love the smell of curry. Add in a little garam masala and I'm addicted. =)

Great recipe. I'm looking forward to giving this one a whirl. Thanks for making it gluten-free!

This version of the classic casserole looks and sounds so appealing. Quinoa is one of our favorite grains to use and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it. You have opened up a whole new avenue of possibilities with this casserole.

I've been using the rice cooker method to make batches of quinoa (from Gluten-Free Goddess). Then I have cooked quinoa on hand for salads and dishes like this yummy casserole. The cooked quinoa will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

This sounds great! This will be on our menu as soon as the next leftover rotisserie chicken is in the fridge. Or maybe I'll just pull out some chicken tenders if I can't wait till next week. I'll be sharing this one on facebook. I've hooked many friends on South Beach by sharing your recipes. No need for feeling any dieting deprivation with your recipes!

Nancy, thanks so much, both for the sharing on Facebook and the kind words about the recipes!

VE, thanks. I'm always happy when I can find a recipe that uses leftover rotisserie chicken, because I can't seem to resist them at Costco. (And I use the bones and skin to make homemade chicken stock, double win!

Kalyn,let me take this opportunity to thank you for suggesting Penzey's spices. Luckily I have a store near me. I am enjoying all the spices I've purchased so far and already have my favorites. One of them is the curry you mentioned in this quinoa recipe. So thank you! rjp.s.maybe now I can give quinoa a try~

Alanna, I guess we were writing comments at the same time! Wish Blogger would work on a way for us to "reply" inside the comment so they don't get out of order like this. I agree completely, and nowdays I must prefer the "fresher" flavor of the made-from-scratch sauce.

I'm very intrigued--this sounds great! I'm always looking for new quinoa recipes, especially ones that my bf might enjoy since he's not fully-converted on quinoa yet. I will have to file this one away for the near future!

I've been eating a little quinoa lately and have found it very satisfying. This recipe looks like something my mom would have made but definitely with a can of cream of chicken soup! I really like your version and have saved it for future use. Thanks, as always, Kalyn for your inspiration!

This quinoa casserole looks like something my whole family would love. I especially appreciate your alternative to condensed soup because I hate to rely on it all the time. I will be tweaking many of my old casserole dishes using your sauce. Thanks!

Martha, assuming you read my comment above about the fat free Greek Yogurt. I do think full-fat Greek yogurt would work better (but not as SBD friendly as the low-fat sour cream.) If you try a different version would love to hear how it works.

Can't think of any reason why the red quinoa wouldn't taste okay, although I'm not sure it will look quite as appetizing with the brightly yellow sauce. Might be fine though, let us know if you try it.

I have some left over rice, a can of cream of chicken soup in the pantry and some brocccoli in the fridge and was thinking about making that old time casserole recipe. Love this much healthier version. I need to try Quinoa more often.

I made this tonight, and it was tasty for something so easy. I wanted a dairy-free meal, so in place of the mayo and sour cream, I used a can of coconut milk and left the cheese off the top. It worked great! Without the cheese on top, it needed some extra flavor in the sauce, so I upped the mustard to 1 tablespoon. I wanted to add more curry powder, but I ran out. :-( I put some fresh coarsely ground black pepper on top to make it look more appealing. Also, since I cook quinoa in big batches in my rice cooker, I just used 2 cups of leftover quinoa that was lying around. I used frozen organic broccoli, and I didn't even need to thaw it. I definitely want to make this again. I love the concept. I look forward to experimenting with different seasonings and vegetables. Yum, yum. Thanks for the idea. (Oh, and I think it's a great meal to give gluten-free families who have just had a baby or are in crisis! It's easy, nutritious, and one-dish.)

Made this for dinner tonight - excellent! Did make a few changes - added a bit more chicken, cooked the quinoa in broth and sprinkled a bit of salt and fresh ground black pepper while layering. Also used Asiago instead.

This will be fun to play around with - perhaps a Mexican variation with beans, lime juice, ancho chile powder, cumin and a bit of coriander? Great dish!

Kalyn, This was delicious. Though I found the sauce didn't get to my quinoa. next time I might mix it then top with cheese.. Oh, I also doubled the curry, because my husband and I love it.. I will use this again and again.. :) thanks so much.

Fabulous! Thanks so much for using quinoa- I have always been scared of it, but this dish turned me into a quinoa lover... I used tofu instead of sour cream, and vegetarian chicken, and the whole works was gone in no time at all.

Wow, I just made this and it was really tasty. I didn't know at first how parmesan as a topping would play with curry sauce, but it was really delicious. I can't get my hands on low fat sour cream here so I had to replace it with low fat plain yogurt.Thanks for my dinners for the next few days =)

I just found this recipe. I was excited in trying it. When I used "print friendly" , the section on how to make the sauce was missing. I have always enjoyed any recipe of yours. Keep up the great work.

Kalyn, Apparently this is going to be one of my Go-To Recipies, this time I changed it up, still using Chicken and Quinoa, but instead of broccoli I sautéed zucchini and mushrooms, and for the sauce used Pesto for the dijon and curry, it smells great and I can't wait to have it tomorrow night for dinner.

You have been inspiring me for years, and your meals have fed my family countless of times. Thank you!

For this recipe, do you think couscous would work as a substitution for quinoa? I do not live in the U.S. and I'm not sure how or where I'd get quinoa just yet (although I haven't given up trying). Thank you!

I tried this recipe and did substitute Greek yogurt for all the sour cream. For me, it's a necessity. I'm lactose intolerant and can stomach the yogurt, but not the sour cream.

I have to say that the sauce was extremely tart. The sauce sat on top of the broccoli and never made its way down through the casserole. I added 2 teaspoons of curry powder and thought it actually could have used a full tablespoon. The flavor was interesting, but I'm not sure I'm sold on it. My advice would be to stick with the sour cream. Otherwise an excellent recipe.

Oh my! I love this recipe. I didn't have sour cream so I used coconut milk and added lots more of the curry powder, just because I love it! And it turned out wonderful! You're a great inspiration, Kalyn!

This recipe is delicious! We're on phase one of SB, so I just left out the quinoa and did the recipe on the stovetop: big hit! (although we love quinoa, so I'll be trying the whole recipe when we're on phase two!)

We just made this tonight and the adults loved it. My little ones are picky and I'd say they were neutral to it, which is actually quite good. I made the full fat version by default because that is what we happened to have in the house, and I would go with the lower fat next time if I can plan it that way. I also may try the coconut milk version.

I'm starting to like quinoa after a bad first experience cooking it. I think the issue was rinsing because I couldn't figure out how the quinoa that other people made was so yummy and the batch I made was just nasty. It must have been a brand that needed rinsing. I'm happy to have another recipe to keep on hand for leftovers- especially this one since we often have just a touch of chicken left after roasting one and one meal. It will be nice to get a 3rd nourishing meal out of one bird and I can plan on making a double batch of quinoa when I'm roasting (or crockpotting) the chicken.

I made this for my family using veganase (my daughter is allergic to eggs ) instead of mayo and it was great! Wondering if it could be freezes? I want to add it to my casserole swap but it has to be freezable?

I made this for a friend who just had a baby. I replaced the sour cream for greek yogurt because I don't usually buy sour cream but kept everything else the same. Came out great and she loved it so much she is making it as I type. My husband is now jealous that I haven't yet made it for us! Love your blog- keep up the great work!

What a great adaptation to the 365 version. I reduced the broccoli, added a zucchini, along with lightly sauteed red pepper & mushrooms. I also avoid egg and soy so I substituted Veganaise for the mayo. I will be looking forward to lunch this week! I really love the cream sauce. I am thinking that there may be a goat cheese version in my future. Thanks for posting!

We really liked this casserole. I used red quinoa, a bit more low-fat sour cream, a bit of cheese under the sauce, and 1/3 cup on top. I did poke holes--but, the sauce didn't seep into the whole casserole--but, we liked it this way-- The quiona stayed firm and didn't need to be drowning in sauce-- Overall, we enjoyed and I would make it again--My hubby loves curry--I used about 1 1/2 tsp of curry. Thanks for your blog--love to try different things--and this does it for me!!

This looks delicious.. I will be making this for dinner tonight. Can't wait to see how it turns out as we are curry lovers but I'm not a fan of Dijon mustard so we will see!! :) on a side note-for the commenters who dislike using canned mushroom soup in their recipes.. you can make your own substitute, I use one from "meal planning with connie" blog.. they are quick and easy and soo much healthier than the canned stuff. Try it out sometime!! :)

I made this casserole last night to have for the week and it is so delicious!! I wasn't sure how the cheesiness of the casserole would go with the curry sauce but it really works. Thank you for this recipe!

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